LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Rapper and internet star Tay Tian, popularly known as Lil Tay has polarized the internet with her Halloween costume.

The 16-year-old rapper, who was subjected to a death hoax in August of 2023, rocked a costume similar to Britney’s costume from the 2001 Video Music Awards.

The Instagram carousel showed Tay donning a green bralette and a pair of bejeweled shorts. The most striking feature of her outfit was, however, a huge yellow snake which she used as a prop similar to the one used by Britney.

Tay posted the series of pictures on her Instagram with the caption, "I’m a Slave 4 U," and tagged the Grammy-winning pop star Britney Spears, who is now reeling at the success of her memoir, ‘The Woman in Me’, released this October.

Tay’s costume is inspired by the outfit worn by Britney during the performance of her 2001 track ‘I’m a Slave 4 U’ in the VMA Awards.

The song also holds metaphorical significance as ‘I’m a Slave 4 U’ is about an adolescent girl growing into her womanhood.

However, the fans of the teenage rapper showed concern over her bold outfit choices and flooded the comment section.

While one section of the fans praised her for her impeccable impersonation of the ‘Toxic’ singer, others raised concerns regarding her age and questioned whether it was appropriate for a teenager to dress provocatively.

Internet reacts

Fans quipped at Lil Tay's post on various social media sites. When initially the comments on her Instagram post were turned on, currently it has been disabled.

On X, one fan said, "She’s a minor. Somebody call her parents."

Someone else cautioned, saying, "Before you comment something weird," and sharing a screenshot of her age

Referring back to her death hoax, another fan quipped, "Her resurrection from the dead act was Halloween enough."

"Everyone wants to be britney," said someone else.

Another fan chimed in, "The fact that she died not too long ago and is back as Britney for Halloween is f**king crazzzyyyy."

"Why is a 15 year old girl dressed up like this ? This world is finished," remarked another.

"I really wish I didn’t see this considering she’s a minor," commented someone else.

"Please remind her she's a CHILD," remarked another social media user.

Lil Tay death hoax

Lil Tay rose to prominence in 2018 after making boastful videos of rich lifestyles. She used to post pictures of her wearing designer clothes living in high-priced real estate and owning luxury cars.

She, however, disappeared later that year from the social media space after reports of family disputes emerged.

She was back in the spotlight on August 8, 2023, when a post made from her Instagram (after two years of inactivity) claimed she and her older half-brother Jason Tian, 21, died in an accident.

The rapper’s family made a statement two days later to TMZ saying her account was purportedly hacked and she was living.

A month later, on September 30, Lil Tay released a single from her yet-to-be-named debut studio album, ‘Sucker 4 Green’.